INBOUND: Surrounded By Love

A Collective Community Art Installation

Life On Earth Art presented a community-made art installation in honor of family members, friends, and pets who have passed on. The finished sculpture and ofrenda (altar) were publicly displayed at the Museum of Sonoma County as part of their yearly Día de los Muertos installation. We continued to add to the installation as participants created art honoring their loved ones until the end of the exhibit on November 26th.

The installation featured 160 beautiful tin tributes displayed on decorative wood panels custom cut in the style of traditional papel picado (perforated paper). A special part of our Día de los Muertos installation at the Museum of Sonoma County was the commemoration of those who served in the military. A deployed parachute guided a calavera (skeleton) paratrooper toward the ofrenda, which was covered in hand-made tributes to military lives, paper flowers, candles, and wooden ‘challenge coins.’  

Six large paper mâché winged hearts graced this altar, representing the branches of the military (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard), the seals of which are painted on the face of the hearts.  A vintage television showcased photographs and stories of these men and women who dedicated themselves to serving others and protecting our rights and freedoms, often at great sacrifice.